Ready, Set, Confusion
by blinnn
Summary: Are you ready? Well you better be. 'Cause they sure aren't; and someone needs to be. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Same Difference

Author's note!: So like, I'm really sorry that this isn't an update of _What She Doesn't Know Will Hurt Her_. I actually wrote the next chapter already, I'm just going to get this out there really quick and then I'll get to typing the new chapter up. :) So, yeah.

This is only the first chapter, so you know, I'll have more. Not sure how _much _more... but there will be at _least_ one more chapter. And it will be M-Rated. ;)

Disclaimer: I don't think I'll ever own anything Life with Derek related. Although, I really wish I did.

* * *

**Ready, Set, Confusion**

A Life with Derek Fafiction

"Casey, you need to move." He'd never meant something so much in his life, yet at the same time not actually want it to happen. His voice was serious and she knew that he was _not_ joking around.

But… she's Casey and he's Derek and they're… on the floor?

"Do I?" She challenged with a raised eyebrow.  
And… was she really doing this right now? _Unnecessary!_

"Casey…" He warned; his eyes closed tightly and… OhGod, baseball, catchers, umpires, and… home runs? No! _NoNoNo._

"I'm not moving, Derek. Nothing you can say, or do will make me back down." She replied with a biting attitude that definitely didn't help his situation.

He chanced opening his eyes, slowly. Staring at the ceiling proved difficult as Casey leaned forward to intercept his glance.

Unfortunately, in leaning up to look at him, she inadvertently ground against him. And… he knows she's a prude, but she should know that he's a textbook teenage male and these actions cause _re_actions; totally involuntary, uncontrollable, unattached reactions that would definitely _not_ happen if he were in control of them.

He took a deep breath, and in one swift motion, flipped them both over so that he was on top of her.

"Casey. I'm only going to say this once, so listen carefully." Her eyes were wide and for some weird reason she found herself gasping for breath. She nodded slowly for him to continue.

"We can't do this anymore. No more fighting. It's getting out of hand." His words tight and his jaw set in a way that screamed to her that he didn't really _want_ to be saying such things.

But he was Derek and she was Casey and they're… (step)siblings.

She shouldn't agree. She doesn't want to. She wants to yell at him for telling her what to do and acting as her superior. She wants to kick and scream under his grasp, but she knows that he's actually right this time. It had to stop. They were getting too old and… they were going to college and… their parents were having a baby. Baby; not bab_ies_, with other people. One _baby_; with each other.

So she nodded and he just stayed there; on top of her. He didn't say anything and he didn't need to. She understood the look in his eyes. He was saying 'goodbye'.

Not to her; or to anything she stands for; and not even to _them_ as a whole. He was saying goodbye to a part of himself; a part that needed their fights to survive. The part of him that he hoped he'd keep forever but knew that… it just wouldn't be able to stay now that…

Well, he's never been good with words. Or feelings. Or Casey. Especially not feelings _for_ Casey, so… this is basically too much for him to handle. And their _stupid _parents, with their _stupid_ hormones. Couldn't his dad just keep it in his pants? Because soon enough he'd have another sibling, but this time… it was different.

Way different. And not because he's older, and there'd be an eighteen year difference between him and the kid, but because this kid made everything… wrong.

Everything he'd been feeling(brooding over), for the past, OhGod, who knows how long? It's all _wrong_ now that this kid's in the mix. Because… this kid made Casey say the two words he'd hoped she would _never _say.

"_Same difference."_

Because really? No. No it wasn't.

But she said it… and damn him, he agreed like there was no tomorrow, because… this kid would be here for good, and… it might be hard trying to explain to the little guy(it's a boy, he just knows it), that he's in love with…

No. It wouldn't work. So he agreed with her, like a moron.

The weird part was, he'd expected things to change(for the… better?) between them. Of course, he hadn't expected an over-night truce, or anything(which was the _last_ thing he wanted). But he'd thought that she'd stop arguing with him, and start calling him "sweetie" and being all, 'sisterly'.

But, just the opposite happened: she got angrier. Every time he walked past her she'd trip him or yell to him. "Der-ek!" was heard on a more-than-regular basis. It was like a death sentence, except more painful. She picked more fights, and called more names, and even her insults increased(she must've been practicing because they were even starting to sting).

But the madness had to stop. So this is where they ended up: on the floor of his bedroom; breathing each others air. And he was still staring at her, with such intensity that she should have cracked by now. And maybe she would have, if the intensity didn't have a certain softness behind it.

"From now on, Case; we act like we should. No pushing, no shoving, none of…" he paused, gesturing with his head to their current position, "this. We can't keep doing this. It'll set a bad example for our…" and he didn't finish, because she looked away(It broke his concentration, dammit). "Got it?" He spoke, when she turned her head back to him.

"Got it." She agreed.

So he propped himself up, and walked over to the door, "We leave at ten tomorrow, right?" He swung himself around, to look at her on the floor.

"Ten thirty." She corrected.

"Same difference." And he was gone.

* * *

AN: I know it's short but... what do you think? Because... If you don't like it... I mean, I could always... well...

haha, just tell me whatcha think. ;)


	2. Save It

AN: Sooooooo, I've decided (once again) to draw this story out to its full potential. I mean, I knew it was going to be more than one chapter because, let's face it... everyone wants Dasey together. We don't want to be upset by the fact that they think they can 'never be' because of their new shared sibling! No way. These two WILL be together, there's not a doubt in my mind that they are absolutely and one-hundred percent perfect for one another.

But anyways, I know I said this story would be M-Rated, but... it's technically not. Unless you count the F-Bomb M-Rated (it's used once). But do not fret, the smutty goodness will come for those of you who like that sort of thing.

And I won't lie to you. I sure do! haha. Anyways, I'll leave you with this shameless promotion:

Some of you may know… I've organized this… Wondrous Michael Seater Birthday Video Tribute… Thingy. Haha

If you DON'T know what I'm talking about… GO HERE:  
*oh come on.. you know what to do with links on FF. Take out the spaces and replace the dots!*  
http:// www(dot)youtube(dot)com/ watch?v=w8sYRJ6ABpQ

That's where you can find all of the information.

Basically what's happening is, we take ALL INTERESTED MICHAEL SEATER FANS and putting them into ONE (Or…two… or three.) VIDEO(S), and send them to Michael on Twitter. And for those of you who are worried about too much work… I'LL be doing the editing! No skin of your back, my dears. But please, please PLEASE do this… and tell your friends to join in. I want this to be special and awesome and I KNOW (based on all the various DISCLAIMERS on the site) that you all ADORE Michael Seater. So come ON! Let's DO THIS THING!

Disclaimer: I don't own Life with Derek, but I'd LOVE to own the -NEW-GEMENI-AWARD-WINNER- Michael Seater and all of his wonderful talent, physical appeal, and... overall adorable-ness.

* * *

**Ready, Set, Confusion**

**Chapter Two: Save It**

Sleep didn't bode very well with Casey that night. She couldn't get Derek out of her head.  
No. That wasn't right. She couldn't get what Derek _said_ out of her head.

Yeah… that's better.

She really felt the urge to sneak into Derek's room and force him to… talk to her about this; although she had no idea why, because…  
Shouldn't she be happy that she and Derek weren't fighting anymore? They could all finally be one, big, happy…  
Ugh. Why does she feel so sick?

Turning on her side, she fluffed her pillow before trying for the umpteenth time to fall asleep. That's when she heard it.

_Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang._

She looked in the direction it was coming from: Derek's room. He was awake, too? Odd; Derek takes advantage of any chance there is, to sleep. She decided that he must've been nervous about them leaving in less than twelve hours.

Well, what better way to start their newly acquired 'truce', than to help him out when in need?  
That's a good excuse… right?

So she got up from her bed, tiptoed to the hallway and peaked around the corner to see if Derek's door was closed.

It was. _Dammit_. She couldn't just barge in, that would be a regression, and Derek wouldn't be having that, and she didn't want to knock, because… for some odd reason, she was nervous.

Nervous? About Derek? What's wrong with her?

She concluded that it was just because she's supposed to act this certain way around him now, and she's just not used to it.

Deciding that she was way too nervous to knock on his door, she made a move to retreat back to her room. However, right as she was about to take a step, Derek's door swung open.

They stood there, looking each other up and down, for a good thirty seconds before Derek spoke, "Uh…" Well… maybe 'spoke' is an overstatement, but… you get the idea.

Casey chuckled nervously, looking at the floor. She found it hard to look at him now that she'd realized he wasn't wearing a shirt.

That shouldn't have been as much of a problem as it was. But… that's Derek and Casey for you.

Derek brought his hand to the back of his head and scratched it, like he always did when he was nervous. "What… what are _you_ doing up?" He asked. His tone was venom-less, which was totally out of the ordinary and… not refreshing at all, Casey realized.

She chuckled, "I-uh, I couldn't sleep… you?"

"Same." He replied, and shouldn't they be looking at each other? They were having a conversation, weren't they? Why were the floor and the ceiling, and the walls, and the doorknobs, and Marti's random toys _so_ interesting at the moment?

"Why uh… wh-why couldn't… why?" She settled on just the simple version of that question.

Derek shrugged, just because they weren't fighting anymore, didn't mean that he was going to show his vulnerability. "Dunno."

Silence.

"Oh, what about you?" Derek spoke again, after realizing he'd made the mistake of not asking the question back.

"This is weird, Derek. We can't do this." Casey ignored the question. The awkward this of their meeting finally taking its toll.

Derek let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, "Yeah… it is weird."

"Maybe we're just meant to hate each other." She glanced down at her fingers which were fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.

"Whoa, wait a second here. Hate each other? Who said anything about hate?"

Casey scoffed, her eyes welling up a bit, but her glance stayed towards the floor, "Please, like it's not obvious."

And before either of them knew what was going on, Derek pinned Casey against the space between their two rooms.

"Derek, what-" She was cut off by his finger covering her mouth to silence her, fire in his eyes.

Casey stared at him, wide-eyed, in shock. Derek spoke up, "Hate is _not_ what's going on here, Case."

She regained herself, "O- okay, so we _don't_ hate each other?" Her gaze slithered from his eyes to his chest.

Derek didn't notice though, as he continued, "We may have a really fucked up relationship, Casey. But hate was never the issue."

"There you go again, Derek. Thinking you can control everything that I do; and people say _I'm_ the control freak. You can't just push me around like that, and tell me what I feel. If I want to hate you, I will."

After the words left her mouth, she immediately regretted saying them.

He pulled away from her as if she'd just burnt his skin(though it wasn't his _skin_ that was the problem).

Derek just shook his head and turned to enter his room. Unfortunately for him, Casey grabbed his forearm before he got away.

"Derek I- I didn't mean that." She started.

He ripped his arm away from her and the grip she held on him made scratch marks appear as he did so, "Save it." He gritted his teeth, ignoring the slight pain coming from his new wound. "I've got nothing left to say to you, Case."


End file.
